Surviving the Wilderness
Surviving in the wilderness use to be part of everyday life. Having an understanding and knowledge of survival skills is smart for anyone living in their modern cocoon, even though they may feel protected and safe. These skill sets are not only for backpackers, sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts, although those are now the only people with such skills.
At this point you might be wondering what exactly are survival skills. Survival skills is the know-how and techniques that could help and ultimately safe your life in hazardous conditions or dangerous locations. These techniques could save your life should you find yourself in an extreme environment such as a jungle, desert, or mountains; or if you are in a bad storm or earthquake. Some of the skills you should learn include how to build a shelter, how to pack a survival kit, how to gain clean drinking water, and how to build a fire. These are universal skills that could help you no matter what the situation or circumstance.These universal skills will be able to help you survive in any situation you find yourself in
Let us take a closer look at what you should do if you find yourself stuck or lost in an extreme or dangerous environment. The order of skills to focus on are based on protecting your basic needs as a human and the circumstance you find yourself in. To protect yourself from the harsh conditions you will want to build a shelter as your first task. You can create a lean-to shelter or a shelter with your poncho, the important thing is that you get yourself out of the harsh conditions.
Getting clean drinking water is the next most important element to surviving a hazardous situation. You can collect water in a number of ways. In the desert you can use condensation traps while in the jungle you could find water in the vines of trees or you could find a stream or river. Before any water should be considered drinkable you should bring it to a boil first.
To boil your water you will need fire, and this is the next survival skill you will need. Fire is necessary for protection and warmth, it can keep animals and insects away as well as dry your cloths and keep you warm at night. While a fire can make surviving easier, in most situations a shelter is more important.
Next we will look at a first aid kit. Personally I pack a survival book and a first aid kit in my survival bag, the first aid kit is the most important equipment and I see it as imperative to surviving in the wilderness. You need to tend to your injuries in the wild before they get worse.
Source: http://www.talesblog.com/travel-tips/are-you-a-survivor-a-guide-to-backpacking-in-the-outback/